Timesliders
Immerse your class in an interactive storytelling journey through Scotland’s past, present and future with Timesliders.
Timesliders tells the story of two young adventurers – Kyla and Eden – who are travelling through Scotland’s past, present and future to stop the villainous Professor Curran from rewriting Scotland’s history!
With the help of a time-travelling device called SUSIE, Kyla and Eden will accompany your pupils as they learn about fascinating historical people and inspiring places.
The adventure transports the pupils to Drum Castle, where your pupils will take part in a mysterious quest involving a labyrinth of team challenges, thought-provoking riddles and intriguing puzzles.
Which age group is this suitable for?
Timesliders at Drum has been carefully designed for Primary 3 and 4 classes. We can accommodate younger/older children if pupils are in composite classes around this stage.
When does Timesliders take place?
The Timesliders programme will involve your class over an approximate 3-week period between April and June 2026. As part of the programme, your class will receive a full-day school visit to Drum Castle, which will be booked for a suitable day between Monday 27 April and Friday 19 June 2026.
What will your pupils experience?
- Classroom resource box – an engaging set of resources sent direct to your classroom, to support a teacher-led introduction the Timesliders programme
- Audio stories and classroom activities – access to our action-packed time travel audio story series with accompanying classroom activities
- A visit to Drum Castle – a full-day visit to Drum Castle to take part in interactive challenges inside the castle, an outdoor learning activity within the castle grounds, and access to our natural play area Little Oaks
- Family events – the opportunity to participate in exclusive Timesliders family events during the summer holiday period
For some of us, it was the best day of our lives. We would recommend this trip/visit to anyone and everyone.”
Curriculum links and learning
Timesliders at Drum is currently designed for Primary 3 and 4 classes and reflects the First Level of the Curriculum for Excellence.
Through Timesliders, we aim for your pupils to:
- Develop a love and interest for learning about Scotland’s history and heritage and its significance in their own local area.
- Gain an awareness of sustainability and conservation goals within their local environment and learn how they can help contribute to these.
- Value the importance of teamwork as they collaborate with others to solve problems.
It is possible for the programme to be used as a class topic due to the wide range of themes covered.
Timesliders aligns with, but is not limited to, the following themes: Scottish history, sustainability, local area study, architecture, geography and literacy study.
The delivery of the programme follows a storytelling format and involves role-play experiences, which combine Literacy and Expressive Arts outcomes.
Charges and online enquiry form
Education rates apply for visits, at a cost of £6 per pupil for state schools. Please enquire for non-state school rates. Some schools may qualify for help towards the cost of admission and/or travel – please get in touch for more information about our access fund.
Spaces are limited. Bookings will remain open until Monday 15 December but may close earlier if maximum capacity is reached.
For more information, please email our Schools Coordinator at drum@nts.org.uk or phone 01330 700334.
For bookings, please complete our online enquiry form. Please note that completing this form does not guarantee your participation in Timesliders.
The Schools Coordinator will contact you to complete your booking and arrange a date for your visit to Drum. You will then receive a booking confirmation form and further pre-programme information.
Practicalities
Accessibility
We aim to ensure Timesliders is accessible for all children. Sessions can be adapted to meet the needs of your group. Please contact the Schools Coordinator to further discuss any additional support needs.
Ratios
Accompanying adults are free of charge, up to 1 adult:6 children.
The minimum requirement is 1 adult:8 children for the castle activity.
Additional adults may accompany for outdoor self-led activities only.
Where pupils require support on a 1:1 ratio, this adult should be included over and above these ratios.
Where is Drum Castle, Garden and Estate?
Drum is conveniently located only 10 miles from the centre of Aberdeen, providing access for many schools in the North East region. We are situated within 10 minutes of the AWPR Deeside Junction.
Nestled within the beautiful countryside of Royal Deeside, Drum provides a place of peace and tranquillity for your learners.
Find us here: Drum Castle, Garden & Estate, Drumoak, by Banchory, Aberdeenshire AB31 5EY
For more information about Drum, please visit our property pages
